Testimonials

The Alzheimer’s Association has partnered with SAGE to receive a wide array of in-person and online skill-building for our staff and volunteers nationwide. SAGE’s leadership, dedication and expertise in developing and delivering this training was incredible! It is critical to our mission to serve the LGBTQ+ community with the highest level of dignity and respect and our partnership with SAGE is helping us do just that. We are truly thankful and inspired by the work that was done.

Marshawn Brown - Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Alzheimer's Association National Organization

United Church Homes first engaged the services of SAGE in 2012 from the Board to direct service staff in our nine senior living communities. In 2017, we re-engaged with SAGE through the SAGECare program for the entire organization, resulting in achieving the Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. We have attracted staff to our organization, both individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies who prefer to work in an inclusive environment. Existing residents have appreciated and new residents have moved in because they want to be able to share openly about their children and grandchildren who are LGBTQ+ and know that these members of their families can come to visit them and be themselves. Our LGBTQ+ residents are grateful to be affirmed in the midst of their community of care as they receive the respect and support from staff. This continues to be a priority for our organization and we keep finding new opportunities to engage and work with the LGBTQ+ community as we seek to provides services to older adults in each of our community locations. We are grateful for the SAGE staff and their resources that we know will continue to help us move forward in this effort.

Rev. Beth Long-Higgins - Executive Director, Ruth Frost Parker Center for Abundant Aging, United Church Homes

The Hebrew Home at Riverdale partnered with SAGE to obtain the coaching, skills, and technical assistance we need to treat LGBTQ+ residents with respect. SAGE's professionalism and expertise have made them ideal partners, and we look forward to working together on more staff development and organizational change.

Ellen Burke, MBA, SPHR - Vice President of Human Resources, Hebrew Home at Riverdale

On behalf of the staff of CCCI, I wanted to warmly and enthusiastically thank you for your excellent presentation on LGBTQ+ aging here at CCCI. I believe that this presentation made a real impact on the attendees and I think positive changes in our care management practice will follow as a result. We can't thank you enough!

Julie B. Follo, RN, MSN, CMC - Educational Services Supervisor, Connecticut Community Care, Inc.

The Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the largest not-for-profit home health care organization in the nation, has been providing home and community-based health care to New York’s diverse population since 1893. Our nurses were among the first health care professionals to deliver compassionate home and hospice care during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Today, VNSNY is the largest provider of home care for trans women. But SAGE Care training has taken us to a new and critically important level, ensuring that our staff is equipped to serve the city’s 750,000 LGBTQ+ men, women and children-- and our LGBTQ+ elders in particular--with compassionate, respectful and supportive care. SAGE trainers have been extraordinarily adept at communicating the importance of cultural competence training as well as teaching vital skills to our staff of over 10,000 nurses, therapists, behavioral health professionals, social workers, home health aides and office staff. SAGE training broke down many barriers, whittled away at stereotypes and very much won the hearts of thousands of our straight employees. As we moved through the process—which is now moving into its second year—it was remarkable to experience the numbers of people who were deeply moved by the training, enabling a new level of home care for aging and chronically ill LGBTQ+ New Yorkers. Thanks to SAGE, VNSNY is a better organization and New York City’s aging LGBTQ+ population is able to live in a safer and healthier world.

Richard J. Rothstein - Vice President, Enterprise Communications, Visiting Nurse Service of New York

The training was very impactful and sensitizing. I am grateful for it and feel significantly more empathic to LGBTQ+ issues because of it.

2015 participant -

In a discussion with a co-worker, I was able to provide her with some information on the challenges LGBTQ+ seniors face that other seniors don't. She asked a lot of questions which I felt comfortable answering and I believe she has a new perspective on working with seniors.

2015 participant -

(At this community) I was never asked how many children I have. So I was never asked why on earth someone like me doesn’t have children. Or why I’m not married. Every time I hear those questions I feel sad, helpless and vulnerable... But no one (at this community) asked why. It took several months at home to realize – it must be a policy of (this community). It required great insight and sensitivity by the people responsible for that policy. It allowed me to let down certain defenses and be cared for.

An LGBTQ+ resident living in a community trained by SAGE -